No need to panic!

When things go wrong we can often get caught up in ‘panic mode’ For example, losing a credit card. Clearly a big issue if indeed it has been lost because of all the subsequent implications and risks. The question though is how does panicking help the situation. It clouds clear thinking. It creates stress which, in itself, impacts all manner of things – relationships, well-being, and even possibly the likelihood of getting a good outcome.

What if instead we can trust that no matter what the situation, we have the resources to cope and we will find a way forward. When I ‘lost’ my credit card the other day I chose to stay calm, retrace my steps, repeat the mantra ‘I have misplaced it’ rather than it is lost or stolen. Energetically this changes the basis on which the thinking then cooperates. After 10 minutes, I found it in the understairs cupboard where it had fallen out of my phone case whilst I was using the light on the phone to check the meter readings!

A banal story for sure and clearly not life or death but the moral lies in how we choose to respond when something unexpected happens. The more centred we can be, the more we can trust that we have the resources to resolve a difficult situation the more likely we are to attract the insights, wisdom and practical help we need.

As leaders this is vital. In a very uncertain world, where the pressure is on and where situations can arise that are unexpected or just downright difficult, the key is not to panic or allow stress to take hold. Choosing our response relies on our ability to dig inwards and contact our deeper wisdom – our wiser, quiet self who knows. It may not have the exact answer but it knows what the options will be and what at least the next step might be.

And sometimes a wise next step, however small or seemingly insignificant, might be all we need to open up the step after which might be bigger or more conclusive. As we do that, we keep our relationships intact both with ourselves and with others; we also support our well-being.

Accepting we can choose our response to a situation may not always feel easy but it is certainly empowering as we are reminded by Viktor Frankl “Even if we cannot change a situation, we always have the final freedom to change our attitude to that situation.”